Sleeper protecting means for cribs and beds



April 2, 1963 L. M. PURSELL 3,083,378

SLEEPER PROTECTING MEANS FOR CRIBS AND BEDS Filed Jan. 3, 1961 Louise M. Purse/l 1N VENTOR.

Mp/W

United States Patent Oil" 3,083,378 Patented Apr. 2, 1963 3,083,378 SLEEPER PROTECTWG MEANS FOR CRIBS AND BEDS Louise M. Pursell, Denver, Colo. (955 E. Briarwood Circle, South Littleton, Colo.) Filed Jan. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 80,126 2 Claims. (Cl. -334) This invention relates, generally speaking, to safeguarding and protecting means for children while sleeping in a crib or bed. It prevents a child from getting tangled up in the blankets or sheets while sleeping. It provides a neat and attractive bed, keeps the child eifectively and safely covered and prevents the child from kicking, pulling or otherwise undesirably displacing the blanket or other covering means.

As will be hereinafter evident the instant invention is not to be categorized as a sleeping bag or garment-type enclosure for a sleeping child. On the contrary it has to do with a convention type mattress and the combination therewith of a novel and practical bed occupant covering means. Briefly, a contour sheet is provided and is snugly fitted 0n and envelops or encloses the mattress except for the bottom of the mattress. This sheet is expressly designed and adapted to accommodate and cooperate with a readily applicable and removable blanket (comforter, sheet or other equivalent cover). The blanket is proportional with the sheet-covered mattress. While the upper end of the blanket is spaced from the upper end of the mattress to provide an entrance for the child, the marginal longitudinal edges and lower end of the blanket overhang the corresponding walls of the sheet, means being provided to separably join the same with the cooperating portions of the sheet.

As will be hereinafter more clearly evident the main idea and objective is to keep a blanket or equivalent cover over the sleeping child without having to pin it on. As will also be clear, with the construction shown and described, the child will be able to crawl out but, even so, the blanket will stay put. This is so, because the manner in which the blanket and sheet cooperate and are fastened together, the blanket cannot be pulled loose. It follows that the child can never become tangled in the cover, choked or be smothered. In fact, this invention, as experience has shown, promotes the utmost in safety and protection. Even if the child should slide down under the blanket, which is possible, he could not smother or get the cover around his throat or head because it cannot be pulled loose from the sides or bottom point of anchorage on the sheet.

More specifically the concept has to do with a snugfitting launderable contour sheet which is constructed and adapted to substantially enclose the mattress, a launderable blanket which is accurately sized and fitted and which is provided with marginal overhanging side, end and corner portions, and separable fastening means for the blanket embodying coacting components carried by the lower or bottom end and side wall portions of the sheet as well as by the side, end and corner portions of the blanket, respectively.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the aforementioned sleeper protecting means for cribs and beds constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and showing one corner bent up to disclose the construction and arrangement of component parts.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating other features of the invention.

FIG. 3 is an exaggerated view in section and elevation taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a slight modification in construction.

Referring now to the views of the drawing and particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive the mattress is denoted at 6 in FIG. 1 and this is a conventional type of a mattress. In keeping with the invention and except for the bottom of the mattress it is enclosed or encased by the aforementioned snug-fitting contour sheet 8. The longitudinal side walls of the sheet are denoted at 10, the bottom transverse wall at 12, the top transverse wall (not detailed) at 14. The lower corner portions 16 are provided with a triangular or equivalent retaining webs 18 and the turned-in underlying edges of the sheet are de noted at 20. The portion of the sheet which is stretched smoothly over the top of the mattress is denoted at 22. In keeping with the invention as shown in FIG. 2 one track 24 of a slide fastener is attached to the median part of the side wall, that is between the levels 26 and 28. This track is attached by a common tape 30 and it may be located either higher or lower than shown in FIG. 2. Moreover, it is preferred that the track 24 extend around three walls, that is the two side walls 10 and the transverse bottom wall 12.

Taking up now the attachable and detachable blanket this is denoted by the numeral 32, the upper transverse edge being conveniently designated at 34 and spaced from the end 14 of the sheet. The major portion 36 fits over the top 22 of the sheet. However, the blanket is such in length and width that the longitudinal sides 38 and transverse end 44) depend and overhang and overlap the upper half portion of the underlying walls of the attached sheet. These depending portions carry a tape 42 provided with the companion track 44, that is companion to the track 24 as brought out in FIG. 2. These two tracks obviously serve to accommodate the slide fastener 46. In the arrangement depicted in FIG. 2, one corner of the blanket is provided with an extending tab 48 having a snap fastener 50 to cooperate with a snap fastener 52 on side wall of the sheet. This arrangement prevents accidental opening of the slide fastener means as is obvious.

With reference to FIG. 4 the contour sheet is denoted at 54, the top wall at 56 and one longitudinal side walls at 58. The blanket is denoted at 60, the top portion at 62 and one of the longitudinal depending marginal edge portions at 64. This construction is the same as that already described except that it serves to show that the fastening means may vary in construction. Instead of using a slide fastener it willbe evident here that snap fasteners are provided. The male snap fasteners 66 are attached to the side 58 and the female snap fasteners 70 are mounted on the edge portion 72 to cooperate with the fasteners 66. Otherwise the construction is the same as already covered. In this connection it is to be pointed that it is within the purview of the invention to use other forms of grippers, tie tapes, and buttons and button holes (not detailed).

The construction disclosed may be thought of as intended for standard six-year crib. However, it can be easily altered or scaled to fit a baby bassinet, a carriage or for a larger child using a junior or single bed or even two smaller children in a double bed.

If extra covering is ever needed during the night it would be placed atop the occupant confining blanket fastened to the sheet. With the bed thus made up there would never be any loose covering next to the child occupant. The top blanket should be fastened to the sides and lower end of the sheet at a suitable level that will render the blanket reasonably smooth and tight, yet not tight enough to hamper a childs movement While in bed.

This innovation is easy to use because of the way it is specially devised. The sheet and blanket are both put on the mattress in the usual manner and after putting the child in bed they are simply fastened together.

Manifestly, the instant adaptation is not a so-called sleeping-bag-type covering because it is characterized by sheet and blanket fastened together in any one of the aforementioned Ways.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. The combination of 'a mattress having upper and lower surfaces, a pair ofslongitudinal side edges and a pair of end edges, a contour sheet removably positioned on said mattress, said sheet having an upper surface superposed on the upper surface of the mattress, a pair of longitudinal side edges and a pair of end edges enclosing the respective side edges and end edges of the mattress, a blanket overlying said contour sheet, said blanket having a pair of downturned longitudinal side edge portions and a downturned end edge portion overlapping and completely enclosing the upper regions of the respective longitudinal side edges and one end edge of the contour sheet, and coacting fastener means provided on said downturned side and end edge portions of said blanket and on said side edges and one end edge of said contour sheet for removably retaining the blanket in position, said blanket being provided withla straight end edge longitudinally opposite from said downturned end edge portion, said straight end edge of the blanket being spaced longitudinally inwardly from the other end edge of said contour sheet. a I

2. The combination of a contour sheet adapted to be removably positioned on a mattress, said sheet having an upper surface, a pair of downturned longitudinal side edges and a pair of downturned end edges, a blanket overlying said contour sheet, said blanket having a pair of downturned longitudinal side edge portions and a downturned end edge portion overlapping and completely en-' closing the upper regions of the respective longitudinal side edges and one end edge of the contour sheet, and coacting fastener means provided on said downturned side and end edge portions of said blanket and on said side edges and one end edge of said contour sheet for removably attaching said blanket to said contour sheet, said blanket being provided with a straight end edge longitudinally opposite from said downturned end edge portion, said straight end edge of the blanket being spaced longitudinally inwardly from the other end edge of said contour sheet.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,986,896 Robinson Jan. 8, 1935 2,440,891 Bockhold May 4, 1948 2,789,292 Budinquest Apr. 23, 1957 2,870,463 Hoppe Jan. 27, 1959 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A MATTRESS HAVING UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES, A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGES AND A PAIR OF END EDGES, A CONTOUR SHEET REMOVABLY POSITIONED ON SAID MATTRESS, SAID SHEET HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE SUPERPOSED ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE MATTRESS, A PAIR OF LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGES AND A PAIR OF END EDGES ENCLOSING THE RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGES AND END EDGES OF THE MATTRESS, A BLANKET OVERLYING SAID CONTOUR SHEET, SAID BLANKET HAVING A PAIR OF DOWNTURNED LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGE PORTIONS AND A DOWNTURNED END EDGE PORTION OVERLAPPING AND COMPLETELY ENCLOSING THE UPPER REGIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE LONGITUDINAL SIDE EDGES AND ONE END EDGE OF THE CONTOUR SHEET, AND COACTING FASTENER MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID DOWNTURNED SIDE AND END EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BLANKET AND ON SAID SIDE EDGES AND ONE END EDGE OF SAID CONTOUR SHEET FOR REMOVABLY RETAINING THE BLANKET IN POSITION, SAID BLANKET BEING PROVIDED WITH A STRAIGHT END EDGE LONGITUDINALLY OPPOSITE FROM SAID DOWNTURNED END EDGE PORTION, SAID STRAIGHT END EDGE OF THE BLANKET BEING SPACED LONGITUDINALLY INWARDLY FROM THE OTHER END EDGE OF SAID CONTOUR SHEET. 